Note: This is an ongoing series called Out of Nowhere Horses. These are horses who have just come out of nowhere to win a stakes race. The posts in this series will be posted at least once a month.
Name: Outta Tune
Age: 7
Sire: Jump Start
Dam: Prado's Tune
Profile: Claimers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Most of them remain claimers for their careers, but a few (such as the standard bearer Lava Man) go onto stakes wins. Up until yesterday, Outta Tune looked like he was going to be the former instead of the latter. Toiling in claiming company (being offered as low as $5,000), Outta Tune was claimed several times in the past 3 years. His current owner the former National Owner of the Year Maggi Moss, and her trainer Chris Richard claimed gelding for that small amount on July 22nd of last year at Prairie Meadows (she had owned him for a short while in 2010 as well). He moved his way up the claiming ladder, but struggled when out of claiming competition. That was until he arrived at Oaklawn Park earlier this year.
He had put together three straight wins. Two of them where in Starter Allowance company, and the other was in an Allowance/Optional Claimer. In the latter, he defeated multiple G3 placed Chipshot. That led up yesterday's G3 Count Fleet Stakes. In his toughest test yet, he was facing: stakes placed Our Dark Knight; Silver Magnus who finished second in the stakes last year; BC Sprint runner up Hamazing Destiny; former claimer turned G3 winner Izzy Rules taking on the boys for the first time in her career, and Carter runner up from last year Apriority who finally was first string in his barn with the retirement of his stablemate Big Drama. While not the most talented group in the world, not the kind you want to face for your first ever stakes try, let alone let it be graded. Still, sitting just behind Izzy Rules, he was able to do just that. By the stretch he was a head in front and was able to hold off Apriority and Hamazing Destiny.
I wouldn't be suprised if we see him at Churchill next. Oaklawn and Churchill's dirt surfaces are very simlar, and he could be facing some good company there.
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